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Prenatal acupuncture, yes it's a thing. If you are thinking about having a baby or have been trying to have one, you should absolutely be getting acupuncture regularly. Why? Because acupuncture works. Acupuncture can increase your chances of conceiving naturally. Studies show that alongside IVF and IUI’s your chances of conception increase by up to 65%. Acupuncture is the key to conception, the menage a trois you didn’t know you needed.
If you are currently a woman in her childbearing years, you were born in the age of contraception, where they prescribed “the pill” like candy to adolescent females (stop teenage pregnancy chants ring in the background). So that means that you were probably 15? 14? when you became sexually active (sorry mom) and you have been taking the pill ever since. You have been tricking your body into thinking it's pregnant for 10 plus years. And now you want it to make a baby, like today because times a tickin’.
So how exactly does acupuncture help you get pregnant? It balances hormones, reduces stress, and increases circulation to your reproductive organs. There is this set of glands in the body called the HPA Axis (Hypothalamic Pituitary Axis) that directly affect each other and various functions in the body, by producing or not producing hormones. This HPA Axis is directly affected by stress. When you go into stress mode your body starts producing cortisol (the stress hormone) and this is no good for making babies. Both our sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone) and cortisol are made from cholesterol. So when we are stressed, the body is forced to use most of the cholesterol up to create more stress hormones. Cortisol then tells the body we can’t make babies right now, it’s not safe. There is something trying to kill us out there. Life, modern-day life is trying to kill us. We are all so rushed and stressed out all the time our bodies think we are running away from a saber-toothed tiger 24/7. Our bodies are just trying to survive.
To increase the likelihood of conception your husband/partner should also get acupuncture. Our society doesn’t hold males as accountable as they should for infertility. Male fertility has been declining steadily. Sperm count, quality, and motility all have decreased over the years. Yes, we grow the fruit, but if the seed is bad what chance do we have? I see women scrambling to do everything possible in order to conceive, while their partners continue to live the same unhealthy lifestyles. It doesn’t seem fair, nor does it make sense. If you both want a baby, the BOTH of you should do all you can to make that happen. Get healthy for yourself and get healthy for your future children.
Acupuncture should be just as important as taking your prenatal vitamins. Preparing your body to create life should be a holistic approach. You are about to embark on the most demanding, yet rewarding journey of your existence. Getting your mind, body, and soul prepared for the physical and emotional rollercoaster you are about to get on should be your ultimate focus. You want to support yourself and give your baby the best chance possible. Acupuncture might just be exactly what you need.